Improvement in fences



NPEIERS, FHOTo-UYHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON, D C

lUNITED STATES PATENT e(Diarrea ELI ODELL, OF WINTERSET, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,985. dated August 7, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI ODELL, of Winter set, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful machine-to wit, an Improved Portable Board or Picket Fence; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l isa perspective view. Fig. 2 is an elevation, showing the mode of constructing and locking the panels. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, showing the transverse brace and supporter. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, showing the lock, brace, and supporter for the corners. Fig. 5 is an elevation, showing the manner of constructing picket-fences and securing the pickets.

The nature of my invention consists in the manner of constructing the panels so that while the posts or cleats are always perpendicular the rails or boards may be adjusted at any angle with said posts or cleats, so as to adapt it to the inequalities of surface, and also the manner of locking together, supporting, and transversely bracing the fence, and also the manner of bracing the same longitudinally, and also the manner of securing pickets.

I construct a panel of board fence by securing a suitable number of boards, T T T, between cleats Q Q Q by bolts or otherwise, as shown by Fig. 2, so as to admit of a change of position 'by elevation or depression of the panel at one end lwithout disturbing the perpendicular position of the cleats. A

The ends of the boards forming a panel are cut in the form shown in Fig. 2 at M N, forming hooks which interlock and couple the panels together.

I construct a transverse brace and supporter for said fence by securing together, by bolts or otherwise, the long transverse braces E E, as shown in Fig. 3, and the collar-beam H, and attaching to the braces E E the short braces F F, and attaching to the short braces F F the spur-posts G G, as shown in Fig. 3, in such a manner that the weight of the fence, when placed upon said transverse brace and supporter, causes it to securely lock and hold as Well as brace and support the fence.

I construct a longitudinal brace to support the fence in its proper position, by securing to the top of the middle cleat in the panel a brace which rests on the ground at the end of the panel, as shown at I in Fig. 2.

I construct panels for a corner by securing boards together, substantially as hereinbet'ore described, but with the end of one board prolonged, as shown at J in Fig. 4, to which a long transverse brace E is secured in manner substantially the same as when secured by a collar-beam, as hereinbefore shown, to which long transverse brace the short brace F and the spur-post G are attached in the same manner as in the transverse brace and supporter hereinbetore described, (shown in Fig. 3,) and for the purpose of locking the panels at the corner the boards are notched, as shown at R R R and S S S in Fig. 4, forming hooks which interlock and couple the panels together.

The transverse brace and supporter may also be constructed by substituting for the short braces F F and spur-posts G G, as shown in Fig. 3, the short braces K K, which are notched, as shown at Z, which said brace rests on the top of the bottom board of the panel and secures it in place and prevents it from being raised.

I construct a picket-fence in substantially the same manner as a board fence, by driving into the boards X X in Fig. 5 pieces of wire at the place where each picket is to be at-A tached, as shown at W W.

The pickets are prepared with a hole in each end, as shown at P P, to go on the wires at W W.

The pickets, being placed upon the wires in the proper manner, are secured by the bars U U, which are fastened with screws or otherwise.

What I claim as my invention isl. Pivoting the rails T or bars U to the cleats Q or pickets P in such a manner as to adapt the panels to the irregularities of the ground, as described, in combination with the notches M N, for locking the panels together, as specied.

2. The books M N, for coupling the panels, 4. The manner of locking and securing the in combination with 'the selfsustaining braoecorners, as shown at R R R and S S S, in conposts and pivoted rails, made and operating neetion with prolonging the 4boards to supply as described.

3. The transverse brace and supporter, oonsislzing of the long braces rE E, the collar- Attest: beam H, the short braces F F, and the spurposts G G, or their equivalents, as described.

the Want of a. collar-beam, as shown at J.

ELI ODELL.

W. H. LEWIS, JOHN MGLEOD. 

